"Tsubouchi Shôyô (1859-1935) was one of the first modern scholars of Kabuki and was also the first
translator of Shakespeare's plays into Japanese. It is said that Lady Macbeth was the inspiration for
Lady Yodo, the main character in this play, who descends into insanity." (text courtesy of Jean Wilson)

Structure

"Hototogisu Kojô no Rakugetsu" is made up of 3 acts and 6 scenes. The core of this drama is the "Hoshiigura" scene, the fourth in this drama.

Tokugawa has now cemented his control, leaving Ôsaka Castle, where Senhime and Hideyori live,
increasingly isolated. However, before destroying the besieged castle, Ieyasu determines to remove
his grand-daughter. To achieve this, a Tokugawa agent, Tokiwagi has been sent into the castle in the
guise of a serving lady and has managed to persuade several other of the serving women to help her spirit
Senhime out of the castle to safety. However, Lady Yodo, Hideyoshi's widow and Hideyori's mother,
has become chronically suspicious of everyone in the household and is watching Senhime like a hawk.
Her paranoia increases by the moment and she lashes out in accusation against various household members,
one of whom she kills. Another, accused of treachery, is nearly driven to kill herself.
Then she has Tokiwagi bound, convinced that she is among the conspirators. In a verbal sparring match
Tokiwagi rejoins that with Lady Yodo at the helm, no wonder the house of Toyotomi is about to sink.
With that, Tokiwaki commits suicide. Next, Lady Yodo turns on a terrified Senhime and grabbing her
by the front of her kimono, accuses her of treachery for trying to escape when her husband Hideyori,
who is gravely sick, most needs her.

The following scene opens with gongs clashing, shamisens strumming wildly, shouts, shots,
clashing swords and smoke filling the stage as battle is waged outside the castle walls.
In the commotion, Senhime is finally led away to the Tokugawa troops, but when news of her flight reaches
Lady Yodo's ears, it will send her over the edge into madness.

In the final scene the actor playing the role of Lady Yodo has to excel at showing her insanity.
She stares into space, laughs without reason or when someone makes a serious remark, rails unexpectedly
at anyone closeby, looks confused and fails to recognise her own son, Hideyori,
when he leaves his sick bed to visit her. To maintain the dignity of his clan,
Hideyori decides to kill Lady Yodo and himself, but in the end is unable to because of the pitiful sight
of his deranged mother. He concedes to the pleas of those around him and agrees to surrender
to the Tokugawa troops so that he can protect her until she is restored to her right mind.
We are left wondering whether the Tokugawas will let them live long enough for him to see that day.

Text courtesy of Jean Wilson (December 1998)

Trivia

The actor Nakamura Shikan V visited a mental home in the district of Sugamo (Tôkyô) and carefully observed
the faces of insane patients in order to portray with realism the madness of Lady Yodo.